


Two Plus Two

by MysteriouS24



Category: O'Solo - Fandom, Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 03:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5401034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteriouS24/pseuds/MysteriouS24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of shorts documenting Hope's first pregnancy...some SERIOUS O'Solo fluff!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Two Pink Lines

Two pink lines. I stared in doubt. It was true, the doctor had told me that there was no reason this couldn't happen on its own, but after eighteen months of trying, unsuccessfully, to become pregnant, I'd grown to expect only one pink line. I grabbed the box off the counter and flipped it over, just to be sure. There it was, in print. One line: not pregnant, two lines: pregnant. 

“Okay, Hope, don't freak out. Maybe it's a false positive. Those happen, right?” I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. My first instinct was to run into the bedroom I shared with Kelley and wake her up, so we could celebrate this moment together. But I refrained. She had taken the inability to conceive harder than I had, at least on the outside. Kelley was always one to wear her heart on her sleeve and I'm the exact opposite, until I'm close to people. But her passion for life, her empathy, her drive...all of those things were key to me falling in love with her. 

With that love came an intense need to protect her. Even though she would argue that she didn't need me to, it was like a compulsion. I sighed, stashing the test in the drawer in my bathroom. 'I'll take another one later today,' I reasoned. If that was positive, too, then I would tell my wife. My sweet wife, who didn't think I knew that she had already chosen names for each one of our children. Which, if she had her way, would likely be an even dozen. 

* * *

Two pink lines. Again. This time, I couldn't help but smile. I'll even admit to giggling, and even a small dance around the bathroom. I caught my face in the mirror, my grin wider than I had ever seen it before, and I was honestly surprised that I didn't look different. I didn't feel different either. But I was pregnant. Hope Solo, mother to be. I looked down at my stomach and lifted my shirt. No change; I knew there wouldn't be, but I couldn't help but wonder what it was going to be like to see my body expand with my growing child. What would it be like to not be able to see my own feet? 

What would it be like to hold our child for the first time? Would we have a boy or a girl? Questions swirled through my head but I did my best to stop them. I wanted to share these questions with Kelley. She and I had both waited so long for this day, she deserved the same feelings of joy, excitement and apprehension that I was feeling.

I knew she was in the kitchen, cleaning up from lunch. I briefly considered telling her in some really cutesy way, but I knew that the moment would be very special to her, production or not. When I arrived, I watched her for a moment. She leaned over the sink, rinsing the bubbles down the drain. In a single heartbeat, I was going to break the news to her and nothing in her life, or mine, would ever be the same. Butterflies erupted in my stomach and I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold my grin inside my body. 

“Hey Kell,” I said, as casually as I could as I walked toward her. She glanced over her shoulder, her face lit up with her signature smile. Another reason I had fallen in love with her so hard and so fast. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the back of her neck. She giggled softly, her hands still busy at work in the sink.

“Guess what?” I asked, leaning over so I could rest my head on her shoulder. She hummed in response, her tone upturned at the end, a question without words. I leaned closer to her and pressed my lips against her ear.

“I'm pregnant,” I whispered. This time, my smile couldn't be contained. That was the first time I had ever said it. I laughed as she spun around, her face painted with disbelief. 

“No,” she said breathlessly. She slapped my arm. “Don't fucking joke about this Hope, so help me. I will kill you without hesitation.” I kissed her, my laughter bubbling up from my belly.

“Yes. Pregnant. I took two different tests today, just to be sure, Kelley. We're gonna have a baby.” She leaned against the counter, and sighed, her face solemn. I felt my heart sink just a little, the smile faded from my face. Why wasn't she celebrating? My mouth opened, ready to ask her what was wrong when she leapt past me. 

“Hope. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BABY!” She screeched, dancing her way around the kitchen island, on her tip toes before she pulled me into an embrace. 

“Holy shit, you're pregnant!” She pushed me away by my shoulders, her strong hands gripped tightly before she placed them carefully on my stomach. “There's a baby in there,” She mumbled, her eyes met mine. Tears spilled onto her cheeks and I wiped them away. My sweet wife, with her big heart, her humor, and her love never ceased to amaze me. 

I felt my own tears sting the back of my eyes and my chin quivered. I felt my throat close and I gasped before I succumbed to my own happy tears. Wordlessly, Kelley fell into my arms and we stood together, dreaming of what the future would bring.


	2. Two Plus Two

“Am I big, I feel like I'm too big,” I fussed over my top, trying to pull it down over what I considered a rather large bulge. I was just about twelve weeks in, and we were preparing for our first ultrasound. 

“You look great,” Kelley reassured me, but I noticed how she dodged the actual question. I glared at her. She turned quickly, doing a great job of pretending not to notice. My hands rubbed over my stomach and I prodded what used to be flat. I frowned. Honestly, I thought I would have time before I started to show. Most people I knew got well into the fourth month before it became apparent. 

It wasn't that I was dreading the later stages of pregnany; I was ecstatic that I had made it almost all the way through the first three months without any big issues. No cramps, no bleeding, no morning sickness or weird cravings. But honestly, my breasts were huge and I started showing at eight weeks. Kelley assured me that the changed my body was going through weren't noticeable to anyone, unless they knew. We were the only two who even knew that we were trying, save from Carli. 

Regardless, I had noticed people smiling at me more frequently. They opened doors, said hello, one woman even helped me load groceries into my car one day. Kelley told me it was because I was happy. 

“People pick up on that. They see it in your eyes, in the way you walk. You look like someone right after they fall in love.” She bit into a strawberry before she continued. “No more mean, scary goalkeeper glare for you.” I sighed and grabbed the berry out of her fingers.

“I'll always be a mean, scary goalkeeper, chocolate milk, don't you forget it.” I popped the last of the berry in my mouth. I smirked, knowing I had won that round. She stuck her tongue out at me, rising from her chair to sit on my lap.

“As long as your my mean, scary goalkeeper. And as long as you're the mother of my children, too.” She pressed her forehead against mine and smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her eyes danced, yet another reason on the endless list of reasons I fell in love with her and I leaned in to kiss her. She tasted familiar with the lightest touch of strawberry and I found myself a little loopy when I pulled away from her. 

“It sounds like a fair trade,” my voice cracked a little and she chuckled before giving me a peck and getting to her feet. 

“People are just seeing how beautiful you are,” Kelley reassured me.

But as I looked in the mirror on the way to my doctor, I knew someone would have to be nearly blind to not see that I was pregnant.

* * *

My eyes tracked the scenery as Kelley sang softly along with the radio in the driver's seat. I could feel the tension mounting in the car; both of us were getting anxious as the doctor's office drew closer. I bit my lip, willing myself to stop being so high strung. It was no use. 

I considered myself a together person, but pregnancy was something that was brand new to me. I'd had friends, family and teammates all have children but that was the extent of it. I was willing to admit to myself that pregnancy had pulled the rug out from underneath me. Considering only myself now wasn't an option, I had to think about my child. Six months ago, anyone could have asked me what the worst thing that could happen to me would be and I would have answered either a career ending injury or losing Kell in some way. Now, without a doubt, losing my child would be the worst thing that could happen to me. Yes, ending my career would suck, but I had my wife and my child. Losing Kelley would hurt beyond imagination, but I could fight for her. I could DO something. There was nothing that could be done if my body decided that pregnancy wasn't what it wanted. 

It was unfortunate that I had been around during some miscarriages. I was well aware that not all pregnancies ended in a healthy baby. Some ended with sick babies and some just ended. Part of me knew my apprehension was unfounded. I was almost twelve weeks, the time Kelley and I had decided we would announce to our friends and family that a new Solo was on its way into the world, yes, but it was also past what the doctor had called “the most volatile time.”

“Most miscarriages happen within the first twelve weeks,” she had said, going over my blood results in front of her. “Your numbers seem very good, however, so I don't foresee any issues. But things do happen. Keep it in mind, but don't stress over it.” I imagined going in for an ultrasound only to find no heartbeat, or no baby. I imagined waking up in a pool of blood, wracked in pain. 

Telling a first time pregnant woman not to worry about something was like telling the sky not to be blue. I fidgeted with my hands in the waiting room, until Kelley took my hand and smiled at me. 

“It'll be okay,” she said confidently. I noticed she held my hand tighter than usual, though, and she bounced her foot. She was just as anxious, but holding it together for me. I kissed her forehead and smiled, but countless scenarios, all of which ended badly, filed through my head one by one.

Forever seemed to pass before we were placed in a small room. My shirt was tucked carefully under the band of my bra and warm gel coated my belly. The ultrasound technician asked questions that I answered without thinking about them. My eyes were focused on the small blank screen by my head, my hand squeezed Kelley's tightly and I had to remind myself to breathe. 

“I'm just going to take a quick look before I turn your screen on for you to see,” he said, his voice full of cheer that grated on my nerves. His smile was too perfect, his teeth were too white and I felt the urge to punch him when he started to hum softly. In my head, I named him Ken and hoped that Barbie hated his stupid smile as much as I did. 

But his smile faltered and the humming stopped for a millisecond, but I caught it. My eyes flashed to Kelley, wondering if she had seen what I had. She scowled. She had seen it, as well. 

“I'm going to get the doctor for you, she said she wanted to see you herself today. It'll be just a minute, Ms. Solo.” He nodded to Kelley and handed me a white cloth to clean my stomach with. I unceremoniously wiped the now cold, sticky gel from my skin and glowered at him. He retreated quickly, much to my pleasure. 

“Kelley, did you see that?” She nodded but before she could respond, the doctor knocked and let herself in. She smiled warmly at both of us and I felt the frustration at everyone's cheerfulness eating at my stomach. 

“Lets take a look here, Hope. You're almost twelve weeks now, I see. Wow, you've already got a little bump,” she exclaimed, placing more warm goo on my belly. 

“Yeah, I noticed,” I mumbled and glared at Kelley. “My lovely wife told me it wasn't noticeable.” Kelley chuckled and doctor Sinclair laughed. 

“Got a good sense on her, that one,” she smiled at Kelley. Seconds later, the room filled with the sound of a very fast heartbeat. My anger, anticipation and frustration melted away. 

“Here's a heartbeat for you, mommies.” Suddenly, the cheerfulness wasn't so bothersome. Tears welled up in my eyes faster than I would have thought possible and I laughed. I could have listened to that sound for the rest of my life. The sound of our child's heartbeat was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. 

“So everything looks okay, then?” I asked eagerly. “I was so afraid that something is wrong because I'm already showing...” my voice trailed off and Kelley stroked my hair. When I looked at her, tears brimmed over, trailing down her face, as well. 

“Everything looks good so far, I need to do a bit more measuring but,” She paused and the small screen next to my head lit up. “This explains why you're showing early. Here is your baby.” My eyes drank in the image of my baby, the first time I'd ever seen him or her. Blobs formed a semi-humanlike shape that I loved instantly. 

“It looks like an alien,” Kelley said, her voice full of awe. I knew she was taking mental pictures and trying to remember every moment, just as I was. The tiny blob moved, just a bit and I could actually see the heart beat on the screen. It was surreal to me that in just six months, I'd be holding the blob in my arms, but it wouldn't be a blob, but a fully formed, independent of my body, living human being. 

“And this,” the doctor moved the wand a little farther up and to the side. “Is your other baby.” Another little blob, another little heartbeat. Another person. Two babies inside of me. 

“Twins,” Kelley breathed.


	3. A Little Birdy named Kelley

Kelley bounced around the edge of the pool with Sasha's paws in her hands, forcing the poor thing to dance ungracefully. The dog seemed to enjoy it, though, her tongue flopped out of her mouth comically, following Kelley's lead as best as she could.

“Did you hear that, Sash? You're gonna be a big sister to TWO babies!” Sasha whined and pulled away from Kelley before she trotted into the house but not before shooting a look to Kelley. She laughed, her head thrown back, the afternoon sun glinted warmly through her hair. 

“Don't scare them too much, Kell, we want them to LIKE the babies,” I approached her, drinking her in with my eyes. Since hearing that we were having twins, it felt like everything was happening in slow motion but in a way that made it shine. Every feature, every personality quirk that Kelley had stood out to me. I couldn't stop watching her.

Her smile seemed wider, her hair seemed to shine more, her skin was even softer. The way she danced was even more uncoordinated than ever, the way she snorted when she laughed was even more enchanting. I felt tears sting my eyes suddenly and blinked quickly.

“Hopey, what's wrong?” She brushed my hair out of my face, concern written over hers. I shook my head, only slightly annoyed with the use of a nickname I normally would have murdered someone for using. It was only okay when Kelley did it; people had learned that lesson the hard way. 

“Nothing, I swear, I think I'm actually hormonal.” I giggled, affirming my suspicions. Mood swings, a baby bump, and my breasts were bigger. I couldn't say I was enjoying being pregnant. But I also couldn't say that I hated it. I wouldn't readily admit either thing to anyone, not even Kelley. 

She kissed my cheek. “You know, I thought you had a glow about you but now that I kissed you, it's actually just sweat.” She scrunched her face, wiping her lips comically. I raised my eyebrow before I pushed her into the pool.

Sasha ran back outside, at the sound of the splash and looked at me incredulously. I laughed, patting her on the head. 

“That's what happens when you insult mama,” I cooed at her. She tilted her head at me, questioning. I grinned.

“Bitch!” Kelley gasped, pushing water from her eyes when she surfaced. Sasha barked at her in response before she jumped into the cool water with her mommy.

“Traitor,” I mumbled. 

From inside the house, I heard the doorbell and made my way inside. We weren't expecting anyone, that I knew of. I heard a few quick raps on the door followed by a muffled song through the door.

“Open up, Hope. It's Pinoe you dope, and I brought some soap because you smell!” She drug out the last note even after I had opened the door, ending in a flourish and a bow.

“Thank you, thank you, I'll be here until you kick me out and tell me to go home,” She grinned at me. 

“Hey, Pinoe, what's up?” I motioned her into the house and she all but danced in.

“Wellll, a little birdy told me I should stop by today,” She looked over my shoulder. “Where's KO?” 

“She's in the pool,” I snorted. “Wait, Kelley told you to come over?” I hugged her tightly before we made our way to the back, where Kelley was drying her hair.

“No, a little birdy did. Don't you listen? French fry told me,” Pinoe smirked. “Just kidding, yeah Kell told me you had something you wanted to tell me. Before you do, though, I know you're in love with me. Who isn't? But Hope, I can't take you away from Kell, she's the one for you.” She pulled Kelley toward her, lifting her and spinning her around, not caring that it left her soaking wet in the process. 

I shot my wife a look. She grinned innocently. 

“For real, though, what's the big news?” Pinoe looked from me to Kelley and back again. “Shit, no one is dying, right? I have had enough O'Solo angst with those fan fiction stories Kling got me addicted to.” Christ, she never let those fiction stories rest. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, clenching my jaw. I shot her the best 'scary goalkeeper' look I could. Pinoe raised her hands and took a step back.

“Hope's pregnant!” Kelley danced on her toes again, her eyes lit with excitement. Pinoe's jaw dropped and her eyes widened, quickly flashing to my stomach.

“No shit! Congrats guys, wow!” She hugged us both tightly. “I didn't even know you were trying!” She squealed and broke the embrace, placing her hands over my belly. 

“Hello in there baby! It's Auntie Pinoe. Be good, and kick your mama a lot, she needs to have her ass kicked, pregnant or not. Pregnant Hope Solo,” she shook her head before she whispered. “No shit.” 

“No shit at all,” I said, smiling at her. Pinoe's excitement was always contagious, and I found my frustration with Kelley melting away as my teammate rubbed my stomach. I felt pride for the first time at my pending motherhood. I couldn't stop myself from beaming.

“With twins!” Kelley added happily, still bouncing from foot to foot. 

“Twins are the best!” Pinoe exclaimed, bouncing with Kelley. “You know,” She added, conspiratorially, “I have a twin.” 

She winked at me, her wide grin spreading across her face. I smirked at her.

“Oh, you must be the annoying one.” I replied slyly. Pinoe laughed deeply and smacked my arm.

She hugged me again, tightly. “I really am proud of you, Solo. You've come a long way, it's nice to see you so happy.” She whispered in my ear. I smiled, feeling tears bite the back of my eyes again.

“Couldn't have done it without you, Pinoe.” She squeezed me and pulled away.

“Let's go grab a bite, you guys can tell me everything. Seriously! Little O'Solo, the internet is about to get CRAZY!” Pinoe said, quickly dodging out of my way when I swung, fully intending to make contact with her. 

She ran away, cackling, my dogs at her heels, Kelley not far behind and I took it all in. Pinoe was right; I had come a long way. From an unhappy marriage, legal problems and bad press coverage to world champion and Olympian. To wife of the most incredible, frustrating person I had ever met, and now, mother to be. 

My hand caressed my growing bump, counting the days to when I'd be holding my tiny new babies. It couldn't happen soon enough. 

“Come on, babe!” Kelley hollered from the door, beckoning me urgently. 

I obliged, silently thanking God for my beautiful life and everything the future would bring to my family.


	4. No Need For a Bed and Butterflies, All In One Day

I officially waddled. Sixteen weeks into my pregnancy, not even halfway, and I waddled. Not even a little. A lot. I knew it would happen, just not so soon. I knew Kelley had noticed, I saw the way she watched me, how she was always close by. Almost crouched, as if to catch me if I started to fall. It would have been funny, if not for the fact that if she tried to catch me, I'd just take her down with me, likely killing her in the process. 

Early in my pregnancy, my doctor had advised me to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but to also keep my weight gain to between thirty and forty pounds. At the time I had scoffed; I kept my weight at around one hundred and fifty pounds; forty pounds would put me near two hundred and that number baffled me. 

But the morning I discovered my waddle, my scale very happily told me I was a solid one hundred eighty pounds. Only ten pounds away from the top number my doctor suggested. I poked my stomach, which had grown to roughly the size of a basketball, if it were cut in half. Maybe a little bigger.

“Hey, you two. Stop wanting so much pasta. You're making mama fat.” I hissed. My weight gain concerned me, probably more than it should have. Pregnancy was more exhausting than I had thought it would be, so I hadn't been as active. That coupled with my insane need for anything pasta with cheesy sauce and it was a recipe for disaster. Not to mention, Kelley had discovered a love for making her own noodles at home. I had been happy to help her learn, my Italian heritage came in very handy. I found myself regretting that hobby now.

“Did I just hear you call yourself fat?” Kelley poked her head into the bathroom we shared, her eyes narrowed at me. I shrugged.

“Kell, I'm ten pounds away from the top weight my doctor said I should get to and I've got 24 weeks left. If I keep gaining like this, I'll be over sixty pounds heavier than I was when I started.” I could hear my voice was laced with more concern than I wanted it to be. Far from being afraid of being overweight, I was afraid of what the extra weight and stress would do to the babies. My back was already sore if I stood for too long. 

“I'm sure you're okay,” her eyes softened and she walked into the bathroom. Clearly, she sensed my distress. Kelley had a knack for picking up on my moods. Her hands brushed softly over my stomach, holding my gaze with hers. I smiled weakly. 

“I just worry. I haven't felt them move yet, and so much can go wrong...” I lowered my gaze. Or at least I tried to, but she placed her hand under my chin gently, her eyes all but demanding I didn't look away.

“So much can go right, too. You've got this, Hope. They're moving, you just can't feel it yet, but you will. And don't worry about your weight, you look sexy as hell.” I chuckled, the anxiety I felt in my gut easing in the process. She smiled back before she brushed her lips against mine. 

“In fact, I think we've got some time before your appointment. Why don't you get in bed and I'll join you in a minute?” She bit her lip, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“Oh, you're full of good ideas, aren't you?” I felt an uncharacteristic blush creep onto my cheeks at her suggestion. Butterflies tickled the inside of my stomach. Much to my surprise, I felt nervous at the thought of her hands running over me, exploring my new body. Of course we had been together quite a bit; the frequency and quality of our sex life hadn't changed since I had become pregnant. But today, I felt different. Self conscious, timid, all mixed with a tiny bit of apprehension.

I stared into Kelley's eyes, the woman who had held my hair back when I got sick from drinking too much, the person who stuck with me, even when I pushed her away in the worst way. The person who wanted me not for what she thought I was but for who I actually was, and I saw nothing but love, acceptance, and desire.

Her hand trailed up my back and all my concerns disappeared with her touch. I leaned into her, my lips met hers and I kissed her deeply. She pulled me closer to her, and I melted in her hands. 

“We don't need the bed,” I mumbled against her lips before she grabbed me and made me forget everything but the two of us existed. 

* * *

Another ultrasound wand pressed into my stomach and I grimaced. I had to pee, but I wasn't allowed to until the doctor was done. I clenched my jaw, my frustration rising with each passing second. Kelley moved closer to my side and rested her hand on my shoulder. Her attempts to comfort me through all of my emotional upsets had to be tiring, but she did it with a smile on her face. I leaned my head on her arm, hoping that she could sense my gratitude.

“Everything is looking good, Hope. They're both measuring textbook in size. If you'd like, I can tell you what sex they are. It's a little earlier than I normally do but these two aren't shy,” the doctor suggested, smiling at me. I gazed past the doctor and to the screen, where I could see my little blobs had transformed into tiny people. I swallowed hard and looked at Kelley. She nodded, her eyes sparkled with excitement. I felt the butterflies erupt again at the same time the twins moved on the screen. I blinked in astonishment.

“I think I felt them move,” I whispered, grabbing Kelley's hand. The same sensation again, and the tiny people on the screen moved. I laughed. My blobs were now little butterflies. Tiny humans that felt like butterflies. 

“I felt them move!” I exclaimed loudly. The doctor smiled widely. My usual stony demeanor had broken, obviously pleasing the older woman. 

“It's all fun from here on out now, Hope,” she said, joining in my laughter. Kelley looked like she was about to burst. 

“Tell us what sex they are before Kelley dies,” I insisted.

“You have two little boys on the way.” 

And suddenly, I didn't care how heavy I got. We were having two boys.


	5. Chapter 5

As the boys grew, so did I. Twenty weeks passed with the very long, slightly scary anatomy scan in which we found out our boys were indeed boys and both of them were slightly larger than most babies at their gestation. Everything else was textbook normal with them, much to our relief. 

I'd grown used to my growing body by the time I hit twenty six weeks; I was feeling energetic even though I couldn't see my feet, excited for my due date getting closer by the day. There were definitely things I wasn't enjoying about carrying two small humans. The waddle, of course. But then there were other things I had never really considered. Strangers touched me without warning, one day I sat on the floor to tie my shoes and cried when I couldn't get back up. Kelley had to help me, much to my embarrassment. She did her best not to laugh too hard, but wound up cracking up when I was finally on my feet.

“I'm so sorry,” She gasped. “I know I shouldn't be laughing. Hope,” She wheezed, tears running down her cheeks from laughing, “That was so fucking funny.” 

My face was stony and a little hot from crying but I found a smile spread across my face and soon, I was laughing just as hard as she was. Her dark eyes met mine and her face softened before she leaned in to kiss my cheek.

“You're so beautiful,” She said. Kelley was never one to hold back what was on her mind, she had a filter almost as limited as Pinoe's. It was something I adored about her since the first day I met her but even all these years later, it caught me off guard sometimes. A blush crept onto my cheeks, hidden by the flush the crying had brought on earlier.

“Thank you,” I dropped my eyes uncharacteristically. Just in time to see my stomach move under my shirt.

“What the fuck was that,” I whispered. Kelley gazed at me, concerned as I lifted my shirt slowly. I was sure that I would find I wasn't pregnant, but rather an animal had nested unbeknownst to me. 

Near the side of my stomach, my skin stretched outward, the imprint of five tiny toes was clearly visible. 

“Oh my god, Kelley, they're doing something! What the fuck are they doing? Am I dying?” My voice was frantic. Kelley carefully guided me to the nearby couch so I could sit down, both of us hypnotized by the show our unborn children had decided to put on for us.

I was familiar with their movements, their kicks and punches, their hiccups, even when they stretched. I had never seen anything like this before. Kelley's mouth dropped open when one of the boys flipped and my belly changed shape.

“Kelley, what the fuck?! Are they trying to get out? Oh my god, was our donor some weird vampire from Forks? Are they going to kill me? Oh my god, I don't want to die!” I gripped my stomach in an attempt to push the boys back. Kelley snorted with laughter next to me.

“Hope, it's fine. This is supposed to happen. Remember when A-Rod was pregnant with Ryan? All this weird shit is totally normal.” I sniffled and wondered vaguely when I had started to cry again.

“You mean this isn't something out of Alien? They're not going to like, rip through my stomach and eat me?” Kelley shook her head, still chuckling.

“No, they're not going to rip out of you. They're babies, not aliens or Edward Cullen's weird vampire/human hybrid twins. There's just not much space in there, and they've gotta share it. I'm sure they're just fighting.” Kelley raised her voice to a squeak and continued. “Goddamnit, other baby, move out of the way, you're on my side of the uterus.” She smiled at me, and poked the spot the most recent movement had been visible.

“You're really fucking weird,” I mumbled, but found myself laughing.

“But you like me, so that makes you weirder.” She stuck her tongue out, clearly pleased that she had made me laugh when seconds before I was sure my unborn sons were going to scratch their way out of my body. 

“We really should pick names out for these guys,” I said, thoughtfully. We had just been calling them the boys, or the twins, or the babies for so long but as their arrival drew closer and I got to know them a little better, I felt the need to address them as people and as individuals.

“Oh I already named them,” Kelley beamed at me and I scowled. I had known she had names picked out for our hypothetical children but not for the ones who would be here in less than four months. I raised my eyebrow.

“Enlighten me,” I said flatly.

“Well, the first one,” she placed her hand on my stomach where the aptly named 'baby A' rested, “He's Henry. And this little guy over here is Peyton.” She rested her other hand over our other baby and smiled at me. I wanted to act angry but in reality, her gentleness regarding me and the boys melted me. Plus, I really liked those names. Pregnancy and my game face couldn't exist together, much to my annoyance.

“Henry and Peyton?” I tried the names out and nodded. “I like those, Kelley.” Her smile spread even wider and she pressed her lips to my stomach where the boys had been still for a few seconds. Just in time for our newly named Henry to kick her hard in the mouth. 

Laughter bubbled out of my mouth and I pressed my fingers down where he kicked. “Good job, kid.” I mumbled. Kelley glared.

“He's definitely a Solo,” she mumbled. “If he grows up to be a trouble maker, I'm blaming you.”


	6. The (Not So) Virgin Hope

Birth. The five letter word that immediately made my throat close in absolute panic. Of course I knew I was going to have to go through it but it had always seemed so far away, something Future Hope would worry about. Somehow I hadn't realized that Future Hope would someday be Present Hope, also known as very pregnant me.

I hit thirty two weeks right after Thanksgiving, when the entire world transitioned from eating too much and being thankful to buying crazy amounts of gifts for loved ones and talking about baby Jesus and virgin birth. Admittedly, I was the furthest one could get from a virgin, yet, I felt as if I had quite a bit in common with Mary. I'm sure she felt a lot of anticipation the closer she drew to delivery. How much would it hurt? What if the kid had linebacker shoulders or came out butt first? Lucky for her, she wasn't having twins. 

In her normal gusto, Kelley had decorated the entire house from a gorgeous eight foot Christmas tree all the way down to a dancing Santa who mooned the poor, unsuspecting person who pushed the button on his stand. Multi-colored lights were strung in every room and down every hallway. The sound system, that had speakers in nearly every room, played an almost constant loop of various holiday classics. I wasn't surprised to find “Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas” in the mix. 

In the hustle and bustle, Pinoe had pulled together a baby shower unbeknownst to me. So I found myself sitting in my family room wearing a sash that said “hot mama to be” and a tiara from a “Pretty Pretty Princess” game surrounded by friends, family and coaches. The clash between the Christmas décor and the baby shower decorations was humorous, and I could temporarily take my mind off what labor and birth would be like.

I should have known Pinoe would make my shower a one of a kind occasion. From a game of “Pin the belly on the Goalkeeper” to a song she wrote just for me called “Babies Are The Best (But They Are Little Poop Machines)”, there was never a dull moment. Bev managed to “pin the belly” four feet to the left of where it should have gone and she won the “Worst Attempt Ever” award. (It was pureed prunes.) Kim joined Pinoe's song by playing a very energetic tambourine. Everyone presented Kelley and I with a “babymoon” gift certificate to a day at the spa. 

And then the question came. “So are you planning for a natural birth? How does it work with twins?” My eyes narrowed and I shot the asker the dirtiest look I could. The room erupted in laughter but I answered.

“I should be able to have a smooth delivery, even with twins. I'm trying to go in with no expectations. I'll take the pain as long as I can handle it but I'm NOT afraid to get the painkiller.” A murmur of agreement reached my ears. Luckily, the rest of the shower was completed without anyone else mentioning labor. I made a mental note to never ask an expectant woman how they were going to birth their child. 

In bed that night, I curled up on my side, exhausted and more than ready to sleep for the next two months of my pregnancy. I had expected a decrease in energy in the third trimester but I was constantly tired and hungry. Kelley bounded into bed after me, quickly curling her body around mine in what was most likely the oddest big spoon/little spoon combination known to man 

“You getting nervous for the boys to get here?” She said softly. I sighed.

“Yes,” I answered shortly. I knew we had to talk about what would happen when the time came but why did it have to be when I was half asleep?

“You're gonna do great,” she yawned and nuzzled her face into the back of my neck. I didn't respond and before long, her breathing deepened and evened out as she relaxed. She was out like a light. 

One of the boys moved restlessly, and I rested my hand where he was. “Hey kid,” I whispered. “What are you doing up?” He punched in response. “I'm glad I caught you. Can you do me a favor and try to come out as painlessly as possible. Pass the message on to your brother when he wakes up.” He stretched lazily and I sighed. “One kick for yes, don't move at all if no.” So I waited.

And waited.

He didn't kick. 

“Little shit,” I mumbled and closed my eyes to sleep.


	7. Hobbies

Kelley and I started the new year by sleeping. Pinoe and Sera were throwing a party and invited both of us, but at my thirty sixth week with twin boys, I was in no shape to go anywhere. My newest hobbies included sleeping, eating, crying, waddling, crying, being constipated, peeing all the time and my new favorite, having leaky nipples. 

One bright side of being so very pregnant was that the boys were running out of room, so their kicks and punches weren't nearly as hard as they were and not nearly as frequent. I was also running out of room in my own body, though, and that feeling wasn't so good. It took tremendous amounts of effort to get from a sitting position to standing and I had trouble breathing if I walked more then five hundred feet. However, my physical condition was nothing compared the emotional battle being waged in my mind. 

Kelley found me one day, sitting on the edge of the bed. I was naked, and the thought of dressing myself was exhausting. Tears streamed down my face; I had already come to understand that my weaknesses as person would ensure that I was an absolutely terrible mother. My hands rested over my stomach protectively. Occasionally, one of my tears would drop to my skin and run over where my babies rested. I questioned why I thought I should bring tiny, helpless people into the world? Who was I? A fucked up girl from Richland, Washington stuck in a grown woman's body. I had no business having children. 

I hadn't heard Kelley approach until she sat next to me, her beautiful eyes filled with concern. Crying was pretty normal for me, at that point. Kelley would just as quickly find me eating as she would crying, so she didn't freak out. I could sense my state of mind had subdued her the past several weeks. My poor wife was walking on eggshells. I don't think she was afraid she would make me angry, Kelley had never been one to run from confrontation. I think she was afraid to make me sad. 

“Hopey, what's wrong?” She asked gently. My mouth twitched, the best attempt at a smile I could manage before I broke down in sobs again. Kelley rubbed my back, softly, reassuring me in a way only she could manage. Slowly, my cries softened and I was able to stop the tears from running down my face for the first time in over half an hour.

Kelley reached out to me and brushed a lock of hair from my face, tucking it safely behind my ear. I smiled, a small, scared smile and her face broke out into her gorgeous grin.

“There you are. Tell me what's wrong, babe.” I sighed. How could I explain to my wife that our sons, who were due in about a month, were a mistake? That I had no right to have children? I should have never even married her, lord knew I was taking her down the terrible parent path with me. I was sure we'd wind up hating each other and go through an angry divorce. I would wind up a drug addicted non-custodial parent while Kelley would marry a super model with a name like Allergra and they'd have super model babies named Trevor and Campbell. 

“I don't even know where to start,” I tried to chuckle but only a choked, panicked sound came out. I cleared my throat. “What the fuck are we doing, bringing these little guys here? This place is a fucked up place and they're gonna be stuck with me. I'm...I'm too messed up for them. They deserve someone better than me. I mean they'll have you but...” The look on Kelley's face stopped me short. 

I'd seen Kelley angry many times in my life, both on and off the pitch. She was small, but she was tough. And scary. 

“Hope. Amelia. Solo.” Her voice was sharp and I flinched, preparing for the verbal onslaught she was about to unleash. She took a few deep breaths before she continued with her voice low. “You are an amazing fucking woman. You have screwed up, lord have you ever screwed up in your lifetime. But these boys are NOT a mistake. WE are not a mistake. Everybody is messed up in their own way. You and I will no doubt fuck these boys up so badly they'll need therapy at least once in their lives. Poor things are stuck with two stubborn, badass, strong women for their parents, not to mention twenty one other incredible women and that's just on one team. These boys are so wanted and so loved. Stop thinking about all the things you're going to do to fuck them up, and start thinking about all the times things are going to be good.” She bit her lip, a tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away in frustration. Kelley had always hated that she cried when she was angry. I had always loved it about her. 

“Think of the first time you'll hear them cry. I bet it's going to be so beautiful that you'll never want it to stop, but you'll want it to more than that because you love them so much. Think about the first year. All the times they'll poop or pee on us, all the vomit. All the late nights and early mornings. Their first word, their first step. Their first swear word. The first time they fall down and they don't cry. Instead they get back up and play because they've seen us do it so much. Think about the pride you'll feel the first time they try anything and succeed.” I chuckled, truly imagining all of those things through my tears. Kelley took my hand.

“And then, when they're all grown up and they're having babies and they're crying about bringing their little ones into this fucked up world you can tell them all about how, a month before they were born, you were sure you made a mistake. But then you met them, and got to know them, and raised them with me. You'll be able to tell them with one hundred percent certainty that you never regretted a single thing that led to them because they were the best thing you ever did.” 

I was silent. Kelley was utterly right, and when was she not? She was right the first time she kissed me and told me after that I would love her someday. I had scoffed but her ring was on my finger. She was right when she told me I would be back after I broke up with her. She was right when she said I would marry her someday. And she was right now. 

“How old are you, O'Hara?” I asked. She smiled. 

“Old enough to have the same fears you have. Talk to me when you're scared, babe, that's part of what I'm here for. We have a month to get ready emotionally. We're all prepared otherwise,” She replied.

My breath caught in my chest. Suddenly, I was able to place the familiar tightness in my back I had been feeling off and on all day. They were like cramps. Only not cramps. Contractions. 

“I don't think we have a month, Kell.” I said, much more calmly than I felt. “I think I'm in labor.”


	8. "We Should Order A Pizza"

I wasn't in labor. In hindsight, it was hilarious to see Kelley running ahead of me into the hospital, frantically bellowing, “EVERYBODY CALM DOWN SHE'S IN LABOR!” I half expected her to grab a nurse by the scrubs and shake them violently, as if we were in some kind of comedy. But it wasn't remotely funny at the time. 

We were sent home after an hour of monitoring my contractions. Braxton hicks contractions, we were told. It was just my body preparing for labor, but not actually going into it. To make matters worse, I wasn't dilated a single bit. 

“Locked up as tight as a safe,” an all too cheerful nurse told us. I shot her a look and Kelley nudged me in an attempt to get me to wipe the death stare from my face.

“I want her dead,” I whispered vehemently. Kelley chortled until I narrowed my eyes at her, my jaw clenched. She put her hands up.

“Sorry, sorry,” She backed away slowly. We were discharged and home before dinnertime. The only thing that seemed reasonable to me was to eat half of my weight in chicken wings and macaroni and cheese. 

“Just think, this time next month, we'll be jugging babies,” Kelley said happily, throwing a potato wedge in her mouth. She chewed with abandon. “I love potatoes, especially when they're fried.” She nearly moaned and I rolled my eyes.

“We might not be, you never know.” I mumbled and snatched a potato wedge away from her. She protested but the look on my face stopped her from objecting further. She knew better than to take fried carbs away from me. Pregnant Hope was even more vicious than goalkeeper Hope. 

“I know,” Kelley replied cheerfully.

Kelley, ever the optimist, was wrong. One week passed, then two. No signs of labor, no need to induce. Both boys were positioned well and ready to meet the world but my body held onto them. Three weeks passed and I wondered if I would be pregnant forever. My due date arrived along with another doctor's visit that ended with me sobbing in Kelley's arms.

No dilation. No babies. At that point, I was close to begging for an elective c-section but Kelley reminded me that it was major surgery and that the ligaments that helped hold me together would be severed in the process. 

“There's no reason you can't deliver vaginally,” Kelley said softly and I nodded. I really didn't want to have the boys surgically unless it was necessary but I was so tired, incredibly pregnant, and I wanted my body back to myself. “Besides, if you ever wanted to have another one, it's harder to have a natural delivery after a c-section. Some doctors won't even do it.” I grit my teeth, using all my willpower not to say anything I would regret to my lovely, supportive wife. 

It wasn't her fault that my body was extremely adept at being pregnant. It wasn't her fault that I was almost past my due date with twins and they didn't have the courtesy to show up on time. 

“Oh Kelley,” I said when I regained my composure. My voice was dripping with sweetness and her eyes widened in fear. “You may be right about the delivery, but make no mistake that I am never EVER doing this again.” 

The week after my due date passed unbelievably slowly. I wondered why a week could pass in the blink of an eye normally but time had slowed to a crawl then. Kelley thought it was because we couldn't go and do the things we normally did, like go for runs, make dinner together, go on some crazy half thought out adventure or have sex all day. I figured it was because we were being held hostage by two tiny dictators with half of my DNA.

At forty one weeks and four days, I was on google looking for any safe way we could induce labor naturally. Spicy food didn't work and gave me terrible heartburn (not to mention the gas.) Kelley made “labor cookies” that didn't do a damn thing except for make me poop, which, at that point in the pregnancy was welcome. I tried climbing the stairs until my legs felt like they would give out, even acupuncture and some disgusting tasting tea. Exactly forty two weeks in, we were down to the last option: sex.

I glanced at Kelley uncertainly when I read it to her. Her face remained completely void of emotion, which I took as a good sign. I had expected her to laugh until tears ran rivers down her face. We hadn't had any kind of sexual encounter since my thirty ninth week and it was interesting, to say the least. It wasn't bad, at all, Kelley was never one to disappoint but with the new voluptuous body that I was sporting, positioning was difficult. 

“Well....I'm definitely not opposed to that,” Kelley responded with a devilish grin. I raised my eyebrow. 

“Do you not see me?” I asked, honestly, motioning to my stomach emphatically. Kelley snorted but quickly tried to cover it with a cough when she saw the look on my face.

“You're beautiful, even if you're very... round,” She said, planting a kiss on my forehead. “This is probably the last time we'll get a chance to do it before we're parents of actual living, breathing, pooping, tiny people.” She reasoned and I nodded thoughtfully. She had a point. After they were born, we would both be exhausted without a doubt. Adjusting to parenthood wouldn't be easy, who knew how long it would be after the boys' birth until we felt that spark again? 

I glanced at Kelley in time to see her eying my generous cleavage. I rolled my eyes.

“Really, Kell?” She grinned in response.

“I can't help it.” She shrugged. “So what do you think?” I could tell she was trying her best to keep her question neutral. I could also tell that she had some pent up energy she was dying to get out. A slow smile spread across my face and I pulled her close to me, kissing her softly. 

“One last hurrah before parenthood?” I mumbled into the sweet skin of her neck. Her fingers brushed my hair out of my face while I placed slow kisses along her throat. She was quiet aside from her breathing which quickened by the second. I flicked my tongue quickly under her jaw and she gasped. 

“You're on,” Kelley replied. “One last hurrah.” She took her shirt off in one motion and kissed me.

* * *

Not one hurrah, but six later, I propped my back against the couch and laughed. Kelley stretched out on the floor in front of me, flushed and panting, on her back. She propped herself up on her elbows suddenly, an intense look on her face. 

“We should order pizza,” She said and without waiting for an answer, she jumped to her feet and got on the phone. I struggled to roll over to my knees so I could push myself into a standing position. 

“Kelley, I could really use some help here,” I grunted, finally making it onto my knees. “The sex better have fucking worked,” I mumbled. Needing help to stand was not the most self confidence inspiring thing in the world, but then again, pregnancy itself wasn't, either. Sure, I'd discovered plenty of new things about myself, and I was in awe of what my body was capable of handling. But I was really looking forward to being able to walk without assistance. 

Kelley gave me her hand and I rose to my feet steadily. Without any direction from me, she bent down and handed my yoga pants and my top to me. I smiled at her; she really was astounding. I made a mental note to make sure she got a special day after the boys were born to relax and recharge. The last two months had been hard on both of us but she had handled my tears, my food cravings and my mood swings with ease. 

“Thank you,” I said. My pants slid on easily, closely followed by my shirt. “When will the pizza get here, I'm starving,” I asked. I felt my back muscles tighten, the other muscles in my abdomen followed suit. I groaned. “These fucking fake contractions need to turn into something worth while or I swear I'm going to...” I stopped suddenly. For a moment, I was sure I had peed myself. But as my contraction worsened in intensity, I watched Kelley's eyes go wide with understanding.

“Oh shit,” I whispered. “Ouch!” I exclaimed loudly. Not that it hurt, it was more surprising. Suddenly there was a lot of pressure and I had the urge to kneel on the floor and lean over the couch.

“Hope, your water just broke,” Kelley said, lamely. I nodded. 

“I know. Kelley,” I said, sucking in a deep breath, “There is a lot of pressure so I'm just going to stay right here and I need you to get the hospital bags in the car. Call Pinoe and Sera and tell them to meet us at the hospital and start the phone tree.” Kelley took off running and I called after her. 

“Don't forget to put clothes on!” I whimpered and reminded myself not to hold my breath, but to keep breathing and not fight myself when my body bore down and the pressure increased. 

“Oh fuck,” I groaned. Those were real contractions. I was in real labor. 

“Oh fuck!” I repeated, but I yelled. The pressure was turning to true pain. Very quickly. “Kelley, hurry, please!” My voice was filled with fear. “Please hurry,” I whispered to no one.

The truth was, if she didn't hurry, I was afraid that I would deliver in the middle of our living room. My concern wasn't for me, of course, but for Kelley and the boys. They were healthy, they were positioned well and I was fit and listening to my body but things could still go wrong. And could Kelley handle delivering our boys, emotionally? I knew she was more than capable. But I also knew watching the person you love hurt while there's nothing you can do can be extremely stressful. 

“Kell?” I cried out when the pain and pressure ebbed and I started to feel as normal as I could while laboring on my floor. 

“I'm coming!” She shouted and I heard her fumbling with the hospital bags.

“Don't try to bring them both down at once,” I pleaded. I was trying not to let on my emotional state. There was urgency, yes, but I needed her to be careful. In my gut, I could tell something was about to happen a second before it did. 

Raucous noise filled my ears, like the disorderly sound a dryer makes when someone leaves a wallet in their jeans before they're dried. I cringed, knowing what the sound was before I called out to her.

“Kelley?” I could feel another contraction building in my body and focused on working through it. I was Hope Solo, after all, lord knew I had been hurt many times. I needed to center my mind, and approach child birth like I approached a penalty kick. To breathe deeply and trust that in the end, I would know what to do.

“Hope,” Kelley's voice reached my ears and I cringed. She was hurt. “I fell down the stairs,” I heard her try and stifle a sob. “I think I broke my leg.”

The pressure built and I shut my eyes, my mantra filling my head. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. But with the last breath out, pain gripped me and I screamed. 

“Hope!” Kelley cried out. I could hear the frenzied fear in her voice. “I'm coming! I swear!” I panted, unable to speak, unable to move, only to breathe and pray. 

When the sound of Kelley's own scream of pain met my ears, I knew we were in trouble.


	9. Focus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the end of this one yet, but we're almost there! Enjoy

'Focus, Solo!' I commanded myself, but getting my body to comply was another matter completely. My contractions were stronger than ever, but they seemed to be spaced apart evenly. If I could catch a break, my goal was to get up and find a phone. Kelley had taken hers with her and mine was who knows where, since my only comfortable maternity clothes (my yoga pants, of course) didn't have pockets. In my mind's eye, I pictured it plugged in on my night stand. Upstairs.

 

If I was timing my contractions correctly, I would have about two minutes to get up and find a phone. Likely less, since I'd read that movement helps labor progress. Kelley's screams had toned down to sobs. When I called out to her, she didn't respond to me, at least not directly. She kept saying “I'm sorry,” over and over.

 

My main concern regarding Kelley was shock. I didn't know how bad the break was, if it was a break at all, but based on her reaction alone, it was bad. She was tough as nails; a simple sprain wouldn't have kept her down with me screaming in another room. I took several deep breaths and pushed myself up.

 

“Kelley,” I called out for her. I didn't expect a response, but I still prayed for one. There was an incredible amount of pressure in my pelvis but the contraction was waning. I needed to get to a phone before I addressed Kelley. It was imperative that I call an ambulance for my entire family. My wife couldn't walk, but labor or not, I could.

 

“Okay guys, I know you can't really do anything right now because all of our bodies are on auto pilot but try to stay inside mama for just a while longer.” The irony of my statement didn't go unnoticed by me. If someone would have told me two hours before that I would be telling my babies to stay inside of me, I would have laughed and probably had them committed.

 

“Hope?” I heard Kelley's voice and relief flooded through me. I walked toward where she was as fast as I could.

 

“I'm coming, Kell!” With each step I took, I could feel the pressure building again and I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be tied up in another contraction. I willed my body to wait for just a minute longer, so I could do what I needed to do.

 

I don't know what I was expecting to see when I saw Kelley. But it definitely wasn't what I found. She was crawling in the direction of the living room using just her arms. Tears stung my eyes when she tilted her head to look at me. Her skin was pale white, her eyes bright with fear.

 

“Why are you walking?” She asked. Her voice was almost dreamy. I didn't answer. I only had a matter of moments to get to a phone.

 

“Baby, I need you to tell me where your phone is.” Before she could answer, the quick “beep beep beep” of the alarm signaled the front door had been opened. I turned to go right when my newest contraction hit with full force. I cried out and grabbed onto a wall to hold myself up. My body was telling me to push. Even if we called 9-1-1 right then, the EMTs wouldn't arrive until long after our first child was born.

 

“Hope? Kelley?” Pinoe's alarmed tone filled the house. I had almost forgotten how loud that woman could get.

 

“We're by the stairs! Help Hope, she can't move,” Kelley shouted back. Pinoe ran into the room with Sera not far behind. Pinoe's eyes were wide but not afraid, much to my relief.

 

“What the fuck happened?” Sera exclaimed. I groaned loudly in response.

 

“Sera, listen, I need you to get your phone and call 9-1-1. Tell them we've got a woman about to give birth to twins and another one who fell down the stairs. After you do that, get a blanket for Kelley, we have to keep her from going into shock.” Sera already had her phone out, dialing. “Then you need to get me a shitload of towels, some sharp scissors, and string. Something thick like shoelaces. And more blankets, for the boys.” She took off, giving directions to the 9-1-1 operators and searching for all the items Pinoe had instructed her to get.

 

She placed her hand on my back gently. “Hope, I know this shit has to hurt like no other, but I need you to walk with me. We're going to the kitchen so we don't totally destroy your carpets with baby gunk, okay?” She smiled at me. The kindness in her eyes was just what I needed to see in order to calm down. Getting to the kitchen was easy with her help.

 

“I need you to stand here, hold onto the counter while I get some pillows and check on Sera, okay?” I nodded, focusing hard on my breathing. It was taking all my strength and will power to stay standing. I was already exhausted but I knew the hardest part was yet to come. Pinoe was fast as always, though, and before I knew it, she had me on the floor, propped with pillows.

 

“Okay, Hope. You're all settled in. Sera called the ambulance, they said they'd be here in about half an hour.” I groaned loudly. Pinoe tucked my hair behind my ear. “I know sweetheart. Sera's gonna try and get Kelley in here. We figured she would do better than me because she's taller and had practice carrying my ass inside when I drank too much.” I didn't smile, even though I wanted to. Pinoe's sense of humor and empathy is exactly what I needed right then.

 

“I want to push,” I gasped. “Is it time to push?” Pinoe took my hand.

 

“Girl, I gotta be honest with you. I read how to do this in a book. I never thought once that I would have to use it, let alone on you. If it feels better when you push, you push. If it doesn't feel right, stop. I'm going to go boil some water for the string I'm gonna use to clamp the cord of whichever guy wins this 5k. If you feel like pushing, you tell me and I'll be right here. Okay?” I nodded weakly.

 

I was astounded by how tired I was all of a sudden. If it wasn't for the pain, I would have fallen asleep. Everything was surreal and it took a few seconds for things to register to me. I closed my eyes for what I thought was a second but when I opened them, Kelley was propped next to me with her hand in mine.

 

“It's okay, Hopey, I'm here now,” She brought my hand to her lips and kissed it.

 

“Kelley, I'm so glad you're here.” Her face swam in front of my eyes and the pressure increased. I felt a immense, undeniable need to push.

 

“PINOE!” I screamed as loudly as I could, and she was by my side in a flash.

 

“Sera, can you handle the string and the boiling water? Just throw it in and come back. I'm gonna need you when this little champion breaks free.” And she was with me like that. I mildly wondered why Pinoe was never captain until I remembered that she didn't want the pressure. I recalled her saying that she wanted to be the comic relief when things got too serious. She didn't seem to understand that sometimes, she was the reason things got so serious.

 

“Solo, I'm about to look at your bits, okay? I never thought I would be this up close and personal but hey, I always thought you were cute. But first I'm going to have to take your pants off and I need you to cooperate with me. Once your pants are off, don't go playing shy. Let it go and realize I have seen a lot of vaginas in my day, the only difference is yours is pushing out a human. That cool?” I found myself trying to smile and I nodded at her. My body was pushing on its own, and although I wasn't fighting it, I knew before long it would need my help.

 

“Please hurry,” I begged but she had already pulled them off. I would have been much more impressed with her speed if I wasn't in so much pain, if I wasn't so ready to push. “Fuck can I push now?” I yelled.

 

“Go for it, Solo and make it count.” Pinoe encouraged. “Sera, get a towel ready, you're about to be a distant relative!” I took a deep breath and pushed as hard as I could. It seemed as if nothing happened but Pinoe kept talking to me, telling me what a good job I was doing. Four pushes later and I couldn't keep going.

 

“Kelley,” I cried and found her brown eyes through the sweaty haze, “Why isn't it working? I'm so tired, I can't. I can't do it.” I felt something cold and damp on my forehead. Kelley was wiping my face with a cold rag. I had never felt anything so wonderful in my life.

 

“Hope,” Kelley said, her voice was a balm on my exhausted mind, “You have to.” I have to. Kelley was right again. I couldn't be too tired, I couldn't stop, because I HAD to. The urge to push was back and I grabbed the back of my thighs and pushed harder than I had the entire time. A rush of energy blazed through me and I knew that if my heart was still beating, I could still push.

 

“How would you feel if I told you that I have a whole baby's head in my hands right now?” Pinoe asked, with just a touch of nerves. A head? My baby had a head? Without thought, I reached down and touched my son for the first time.

 

“Pinoe he has hair!” I shrieked with excitement.

 

“Okay Hope, I need you to take two or three breaths and try your best not to push. The shoulders are the hardest part but after that it's smooth sailing,” Pinoe encouraged. She was always so positive but so truthful. I had never appreciated that about her before that moment, where she held my unborn son's head in her hands, when I was in so much pain, the last thing I wanted to hear was 'the hardest part isn't over yet'; yet there she was, telling me the truth.

 

“You're almost done, Hopey, then you get to meet Henry,” Kelley's eyes brought me back to her. In the back of my mind it registered just how much I loved her. Just how absolutely perfect she was to me. She was gentle, kind, goofy, talented and messy. And I loved every single thing about her.

 

“I love you, Kell,” I whispered and she squeezed my hand.

 

“I love you, too.” Something inside me shifted and I grabbed the back of my thigh again. Pinoe was talking, Kelley was squeezing my hand. I heard Sera exclaim followed immediately by an all encompassing sense of relief.

 

“Oh my god,” I exhaled, the sudden change in my homeostasis was akin to taking an entire bottle of whiskey straight to the vein.

 

And then I heard it. Wailing, small but fierce filled my head and I realized...that was MY baby.

 

“He's gorgeous, guys,” Pinoe's voice was thick with tears as she and Sera worked over the baby I had never seen but that I knew so intensely. I felt a void as I listened to his cries and I realized with sudden clarity that I missed him. The little boy I had never met but who I had felt move under my heart, kick my ribs and make my life miserable.

 

“I want to see him. Let me see him, please?” My voice stunned me; I sounded like a mother. I sounded like a woman with everything in the world to lose but foolishly chose to continue as if she had everything in the world to gain.

 

“Here you go, mama,” Pinoe said softly. She handed me the little wiggly bundle of towels that my son rested in. My son.

 

“Oh,” I gasped. His little face scrunched up in an angry grimace at first but when he relaxed, his little pink lips puckered into the saddest frown I had ever seen in my entire life. His nose was what I could only describe as a button nose, upturned at the end. When he opened his eyes, he looked at me as if he knew all the secrets of the universe. His dark hair was long and it curled over his forehead. For the first time, I knew what immediate, unrequited love at first sight felt like.

 

I felt the familiar pressure again and remembered that I had only finished half of the race. I had another soulmate to meet that day, and he was ready to meet me, too.

 

“Can someone give him to Kelley? I feel contractions again,” I asked and almost giggled when I noticed I still sounded like a mom. I heard Kelly inhale sharply when Henry was placed in her arms and I knew she was experiencing the same awe as I had just moments before.

 

“I'm ready when you are,” Pinoe said. I was more than ready. As great as my body was at being pregnant, it was even better at delivery. I felt invincible. I felt Kelley's hand clutch mine again and I looked over to see her holding Henry in one arm, and holding my hand with the other. She was born to be a mom.

 

Two pushes. That's all it took for Peyton to come into this world. He was more stubborn than Henry when it came to crying, but before long, we learned to expect our youngest to show his stubborn streak. He was identical to his brother, which we had expected, the only difference turned out to be their weight.

 

Minutes after I gave birth to Peyton, the EMTs arrived, right after the very concerned pizza guy was paid and tipped generously, courtesy of Sera. All of us were poked, prodded and examined closely but we barely noticed. Wrapped in the arms of their mommies, our boys greeted the world with a sense of surety and belonging.

 

Kelley was right.

 

They were the best thing I ever did.


	10. Kelley's Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end of Hope's story...

Three days later, all of us were home from the hospital. The boys and I were discharged after an eighteen hour stay when Peyton had some issues regulating his blood sugar levels. Kelley wasn't so lucky, having snapped her tibia almost in two. She had surgery and a pin was placed in her bone to ensure it healed correctly; her doctor was confident that the injury wouldn't end her career and with time and physical therapy she'd be back on the pitch. 

I had come through labor nicely and I didn't need any further medical attention. Both boys nursed like they would never eat again. I was in constant awe of them, taking huge amounts of time out of my days where I would watch them sleep or count their toes and fingers. 

My days were filled with so much love, I had to take a step back occasionally an pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Kelley was an absolute natural with them, easily calming them when they were upset, changing diapers in less than a minute, even identifying what cry belonged to what need. She wasn't able to walk at first, but she still managed to do more than her share. 

Of course we were exhausted. I was leaking fluids from parts of my body I definitely wasn't used to, I was still sore from birth and I still looked like I was six months pregnant. Moving was difficult for both Kelley and myself so we wound up camping out in the living room, all four of us, for the first three months of Henry and Peyton's lives. Normalcy wasn't achieved in the Solo/O'Hara household for a good six months, and even then, it was spotty.

When Henry and Peyton were a week old, Pinoe and Sera stopped by to bring us pizza and see the boys again. Pinoe made a beeline for the bassinet where they both slept with full bellies; Kelley had swaddled them both tightly, a skill I had yet to master. 

From the foyer, I heard Pinoe squeal with what I hoped was delight. Unintelligible words reached my ears. It sounded like Pinoe had somehow transformed into a human/hamster hybrid and Kelley was laughing hysterically. 

“Hope! DO YOU SEE THIS KID?” Pinoe asked when I walked into the room without taking her eyes off him. I grinned and nodded.

“She's been dying to come see them since the night they were born,” Sera said, chuckling. 

“I don't blame her a bit, they're pretty amazing,” I responded and sat next to Kelley. She put her arm around my shoulder and squeezed me. 

“So which one of these little guys do I get to keep as a reward for my bravery?” Pinoe asked while she cradled Peyton in her arms and swayed. I scoffed and exchanged a glance with Kelley. 

“Not gonna happen, Rapinoe, steal someone else's kid,” Kelley retorted. Pinoe feigned a disappointed face, pushing her bottom lip out.

“Man, I can't even have the runt? You've got two of them, I don't have any. It's only fair. I was right in the line of fire! I saw EVERYTHING.” She enunciated the last word, drawing it out far longer than was necessary. I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Don't push your luck, blondie. I can still kick your ass.” Pinoe looked scandalized and covered Peyton's ear with her free hand. 

“Language, mommy, language!” She scolded, and shot me a wink. I chuckled.

“We actually did want to ask you two to be their godparents,” Kelley interjected. “You delivered them, who knows what would have happened if you hadn't shown up.”

In her arms, Peyton fussed and Pinoe raised him to her shoulder, gently shushing and patting his back. He squeaked in only a way a newborn could and I perked up, ready to jump off the couch and to my son's rescue the moment he started to cry. Kelley gently pulled me back.

“Let her do it,” She whispered. I sighed. They were so small, and I wasn't dealing well with them being outside of my body. The world was such a harsh, out of control place, and my boys were too innocent to be exposed to that stuff. But I watched Pinoe whisper words into Peyton's tiny ear and he calmed down nearly instantaneously. 

“Dude for real?” Pinoe whispered loudly, still swaying with the baby on her shoulder. I nodded, a grin spreading across my face. 

“We would be honored,” Sera replied and leaned over to hug Kelley and me. Pinoe set Peyton next to Henry in the bassinet and cooed over both of them. 

“You know what that means, guys?” Pinoe's voice was sweeter than I had ever heard it. “That means Auntie Pinoe is going to take out life insurance policies for both of your mommies and after a tragic accident, you can live with me,” Pinoe sang. 

“Okay, go ahead and kick her ass, Hope, I'll hold her down.” Sera said wryly, glaring at Pinoe herself. 

“Rapinoe, it's not too early to revoke your title. Tread lightly.” I growled. Next to me, Kelley chuckled.

“Don't test her right now, the other day, she almost killed the fed ex guy for ringing the doorbell. I thought the poor dude was gonna run when he saw her face.” She elbowed my side, a wide grin on her face.

“There's a fucking NOTE that says not to ring the doorbell ON THE DOORBELL!” I said indignantly. Could he not read? Disrespectful douche. 

We ate three entire pizzas between the four of us. The boys were passed around and kissed so much I was sure that the reason their skin was so soft was due to the combined powers of everyone's chap stick. I found myself withdrawing from the conversation and watching my family and I knew the years coming were going to be tough, messy and exhausting. But I also knew we would all be okay because I had the best family I could ask for. 

* * *

Before I knew it, the boys first birthday rolled around after a haze of poop, diapers, vomit, milk, sleep deprivation, smiles, giggles, tears, and love. Kelley's leg was at one hundred percent and her training was going very well. I landed a job as goalkeeping assistant coach for the Reign and the boys grew.

“Henry Alexander O'Hara,” Kelley scolded gently as our son dropped yet another wooden block in the dogs' water dish. The small celebration the four of us had ended before naptime, but Henry seemed to think the part wasn't over until the dog ate his toy.“Didn't mama tell you not to do that?” He looked up at her with his big blue eyes and smiled innocently, immediately melting her heart.

“No,” He responded and giggled. “Nononono,” His sweet voice was music to my ears. Kelley put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. Sheepishly, he took the block out of the water and set it on the floor. Kelley grinned and picked him up, planting kisses all over his face. He scrunched his nose and giggled wildly, his feet kicking out behind him. 

“Mama,” Peyton's hands gripped my calf and I scooped him up into my arms, nuzzling his neck with my nose. 

“When are Pinoe and Sera gonna be here?” Kelley asked a second before the alarm beeped, signaling the front door had been opened. 

“We're here!” Pinoe called and Peyton instantly kicked his feet, signaling his desire to be placed on the floor.

“Dow!” He insisted, arching his back in protest of my embrace. I set him down and watched him run into Pinoe's arms, his little legs carrying him as quickly as they could. It was hard to believe that a year before, Pinoe was delivering the boys on the kitchen floor and now they were talking, walking and running. 

“You two go, before you're late,” Sera urged, trying to shoo us out of the door.

“Wait, wait, the emergency numbers are...” Pinoe interrupted.

“On the fridge, next to the address and number of the hotel you're going to. The extra car keys are on the hook in the garage and the spare keys are under a rock in the yard, we know.” She said in exasperation. “Go, seriously, a year ago I was between your legs and I'm sure that's where Kelley wants to be right now.” Sera chortled and I blushed a deep red. Kelley nodded fervently.

“Yes, please, babe, let's go.” Kelley all but pushed me out the door as I blew kisses to our sons.

* * *

We had planned a night of sex, food, and alcohol but the minute we hit the bed, we were asleep. Having the boys had been an adventure; they pushed our limits in many ways each day. We were busy from the moment they woke up, only grabbing snippets of time to ourselves when they had a nap or the occasional date night. Everyone we knew offered to babysit constantly, but the reality was that when we were away from Henry and Peyton, we missed them like crazy. When I woke the following day, twelve hours had passed and the sound of running water met my ears. I stretched and examined the room for Kelley, who was nowhere to be found.

“Kell?” I called and tip toed into the bathroom where she sat in the tub. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun off her neck, a slight blush colored her cheeks from the warm water. I frequently found myself breathless when I saw Kelley without expecting to. Even after all the years, her soft curves coupled with the raw power of her muscular frame (and those freckles) left me with a slight sense of awe. She had to be some kind of goddess who escaped heaven.

“Join me, babe, there's plenty of room.” A smile small played at the corner of her mouth, almost a smirk. She knew what she was doing to me. So I joined her. 

For the first time in a long time, we didn't have to worry about the cries of our sweet boys interrupting us, so in no time, I found myself in her arms as her lips brushed against mine. We had been intimate many times since the boys' births but we had always seemed to be rushing or listening for cries to explode from the baby monitor. More than a handful of times we had been called back to reality when they needed us; it had been frustrating but that was part of being a parent. 

I found myself truly unwinding, tapping back into the woman who was insatiable and sensual, the woman whose skin turned to fire when Kelley grazed her. I reclaimed my body bit by bit under the confident yet delicate touch of my wife. 

We spent the day like that, absorbed in each other. Hours later, Kelley rested her head on my shoulder while we lay in bed. Her breathing was even and deep as she drifted off. I watched her, attempting to count the freckles on her face for the thousandth time since we had met. 

“Hope,” Kelley mumbled and I jumped a little.

“Yeah, Kell?” I brushed her hair out of her face and she smiled at me.

“I want to have a baby,”she whispered. Of course Kelley had told me time and again that she wanted a big family and I had readily agreed. But after the birth of the boys we had been so busy that we hadn't discussed adding more kids. I imagined Kelley pregnant and smiled to myself; she had no idea how she would change and what that experience would be like. 

“You do?” I asked. I was honestly surprised. Not that she wanted to have a baby, but that she was bringing it up so soon. She nodded.

“I do. I've been wanting to for a few months but I knew it was too soon after the boys. Plus I want to play another season before I'm out for the count again. I don't want to retire after, I don't think, but I do want to. It almost hurts, I want to so badly.” She continued. I knew what she meant. Those eighteen months when we were trying to get pregnant had been hard, my body and mind were both ready to have children but it took a lot of time. 

“Okay, let's do it,” I agreed readily. “Whenever you're ready, let's do it.” Kelley sat up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“For real?” She exclaimed and I nodded. She jumped on top of me, her legs straddling me and kissed my face. 

“Let's have a baby,” I squealed and she laughed.

'We must be crazy,' I thought, 'but the world could use more O'Haras in it.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But it sounds like Kelley has a plan of her own. I'll be publishing a separate work about Kelley's journey


End file.
